The present invention relates to methods and systems for processing data files. Embodiments of the present invention provide for confirming that transferred data files have been timely received and processed.
A large number of companies provide services to millions of customers and find the tasks associated with billing customers time consuming and costly. These service providers often find it more economical and efficient to outsource to other entities the administrative tasks of processing billing data. These administrative tasks include processing bills and mailing bills to customers.
Generally, service providers place a great deal of pressure on bill processing entities to process billing data files. Often, service providers inform the bill processing entity when the service provider will transmit billing data and when the service provider expects the billing data to be processed. It is conceivable that a service provider will dictate that bills be processed in as little a twenty-four (24) hours or less. The turnaround time for processing bills is important because any delays in processing bills often delays the service provider""s receipt of payment from its customers. To compensate for such delay, many service providers charge bill processing entities costly late fees for failing to meet data processing demands.
In many instances, bills are processed with little or no problems. Service providers simply electronically submit billing data to a chosen processing entity and the billing data is timely received and processed. There are occasions, however, when errors occur in the electronic transmission of billing data, when a service provider neglects to transmit billing data or when the processing entity neglects to process billing data that has been transmitted. When these types of errors occur, either no billing data is processed or previously transmitted data is re-processed by the processing entity. Consequently, errors in receiving or processing billing data can result in wasted time and resources.
In conventional systems, errors are generally problematic because the processing entity is unaware of the errors in receiving or processing billing data until well after the error has occurred. Often, in conventional systems, when the service provider is informed of the error, it is too late to both rectify the problem, re-transmit the billing data and process the billing data in the time agreed upon by the processing entity. This delay in notification of errors can be costly especially for processing entities who are assessed a penalty fee for failing to timely process billing data. Moreover, failing to process billing data as agreed may lessen service providers"" confidence in individual processing entities, thereby harming the goodwill of the processing entity.
It would be advantageous if errors could be detected and the processing entity notified of the errors immediately so that there would be sufficient time to rectify the problem and meet the data processing deadline.
The present invention provides methods and systems that meet the aforementioned needs and provide advantages over current systems.
In one aspect, the present invention comprises a method for providing real-time notification that an error has occurred in receiving or processing transmitted billing data files. The method may be advantageously utilized by service providers and bill processing entities. In an embodiment of the invention, a service provider is the originator of a billing data file. The service provider (hereinafter xe2x80x9coriginatorxe2x80x9d) and a processing entity reach an agreement regarding the frequency with which the originator will transmit billing data files and the frequency with which the processing entity will process the billing data files.
Before the originator transmits any data files to the processing entity, the processing entity, using the terms of the agreement, develops a profile for the originator. Many processing entities will handle billing data files for multiple service providers. In embodiments of the present invention, a separate unique profile is developed for each service provider. The profile includes one or more of the following types of information: a unique means to identify each originator, each originator""s name, address, phone number, the frequency with which billing data is to be transmitted from the originator and the frequency with which data is to be processed by the processing entity. Preferably, the unique means to identify the originator comprises a randomly-generated numeric code. Of course, the originator""s profile may include other identifying attributes about the originator.
In an embodiment of the invention, once the processing entity has developed the originator""s profile, the originator begins to electronically submit billing data files to the processing entity. The billing data files transmitted by the originator include the originator""s unique means of identification. The originator""s unique means of identification transmitted with the originator""s billing data file is the same as the unique means of identification stored in the originator""s profile. The billing data files may further comprise billing information relating to the originator""s customers and/or a means to determine the order in which the originator wants its billing data files processed.
Determination of the order in which the originator wants its billing data file processed may be accomplished by including a sequence number with each data file as it is generated and before it is submitted to the processing entity for processing. The originator may set an initial sequence number and increment by one (1) the sequence number of each data file it generates. The originator billing data file would, therefore, contain the originator""s unique numerical identification code and the billing data file""s sequence number.
Once the billing data file is received from the originator by the processing entity, the billing data file may be stored in the processing entity""s system. In an embodiment of the present invention, processing of the billing data file occurs at a preset time based on factors important to the originator or processing entity. At the preset time, a data processor residing on the processing entity""s host computer scans for billing data files submitted by an originator. The data processor may comprise any device or software application with the ability to process data files according to the originator""s specifications. The preset time in which the data processor scans the processing entity""s host computer is sometime after the billing data file is scheduled to be transferred from the originator to the processing entity. To obtain the preset time to process the billing data files of a specific originator, the processing entity may refer to the information contained in the originator""s profile.
After the billing data file is processed by the processing entity""s data processor, the data processor creates a confirmation record to confirm that the data file was processed. The confirmation record contains information about the data file just processed. In one aspect of the invention, the confirmation record consists of the originator""s unique identification code, the sequence number of the billing data file and the date the billing data file was processed.
According to the invention, the processing entity uses confirmation records in a confirmation test to determine whether the processing entity has received billing data files from the originator and processed them. At a second preset time, the two most recently created confirmation records for a respective originator are retrieved by a confirmation device. The confirmation device may comprise any device or software application with the ability to locate and extract data files based on a set of parameters. The contents of the retrieved confirmation records are compared by the confirmation device to determine if a data file was overlooked by the data processor or if a data file was not received from the service provider. In one aspect of the invention, the confirmation test involves comparing the sequence numbers of the retrieved confirmation records and comparing the date of the most recently created confirmation record with the date the data files was scheduled to be processed.
If the confirmation test fails, i.e. the billing data files were processed out of sequence or the data file was not processed on schedule, the system operator is notified that an error has occurred. The system operator may be notified by any error notification device capable of communicating information regarding the error. Preferably, the notification device communicates the error to the processing entity immediately after the error is detected. A variety of communication devices, used alone or in combination, can provide the type of real-time notification preferred in embodiments of the invention. These devices include, but are not limited to, a computer using an electronic messaging system, a telephone, both conventional and wireless, and a pager. Regardless of the error notification device, it is preferable that it have the ability to allow the operator to acknowledge receipt of the error message. It is further preferred that the error notification device have the ability to provide the system operator with, not only the name of the originator, but also the contents of the two confirmation records involved in the failed confirmation test. The contents of the confirmation records will likely provide the most valuable information to the system operator by giving the system operator an idea of the cause of the error.
A system of the present invention comprises computer hardware and software capable of performing a method of the present invention. In general, such hardware will include micro processors, memory, display devices, interface devices, cables and the like. The software will include operating systems and programs.
The microprocessor in a system of the present invention may comprise the central processing unit of a computer, e.g. an Intel, Motorola, IBM or AMD microprocessor. The message router may be implemented utilizing software or hardware. Commercially available software for routing messages includes software from Microsoft, Oracle and others.
A system of the present invention may be implemented as a xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d system, for example as a site on a computer network such as the world wide web; a corporate intranet; a government/military network or the like. Currently available hardware platforms, including PC""s, Minicomputers and mainframes, and currently available operating systems, including UNIX, MS Windows, Mac OS and Linux, may be utilized.
One advantage of this invention is that the processing entity is made aware of errors more quickly than with conventional systems. In one aspect of the invention, the processing entity is also given information to identify the source of the error. No matter the error notification device used, real-time notification allows the processing entity more time to identify the nature of the error and correct it, while still leaving time to process the data in the time specified in the agreement between the originator and the processing entity.
It is a further advantage of this invention that the processing entity may maintain credibility with originators by fulfilling its promises to process the billing data as dictated by the agreement.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the need for a processing entity to make economic concessions to originators for missed deadlines caused by unknown error is reduced.